How Does Learning Happen? The Four Foundations for Educators

Anyone who has watched a toddler figure out a latch or a preschooler negotiate a turn with a friend has seen learning in action. Ontario’s early years pedagogy, How Does Learning Happen?, argues that learning isn’t a curriculum to deliver but a relationship to nurture.

Year first published: 2014 · Foundational conditions: 4 · Based on research from: University of London, THRC · Target audience: Early years educators in Ontario · Brain development by age 5: Approximately 90%

The key facts below summarize the core details of the framework at a glance.

How does learning actually happen?

Ontario’s framework answers this question with a bold premise: learning happens through relationships. The Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) states that children thrive when they have caring, responsive adults who are tuned into their cues. This isn’t just a nice idea; it’s grounded in developmental neuroscience.

The role of relationships and attachment

Dr. Jean Clinton, a child psychiatrist at McMaster University, has long argued that “relationships are the architecture of the brain.” The framework draws on this research, emphasizing that a child’s sense of safety with an adult enables exploration and risk-taking—the very conditions for learning. According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority), “positive, responsive adult-child relationships” are a core pedagogical approach.

Neurobiological basis of learning

Brain development is experience-dependent. The The Hanen Centre (early childhood research organization) notes that early experiences shape neural connections, with about 80% of brain growth occurring by age 3 and 90% by age 5. This window of rapid development makes the quality of early interactions critical.

Play as the primary vehicle

The framework is unequivocal: “Children succeed in programs that focus on active learning through exploration, play, and inquiry.” Instead of direct instruction, educators create environments where children can follow their curiosity. The Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) explains that play allows children to make meaning of their world—an active, hands-on process of constructing understanding.

The implication: if learning is relationship-based, then investing in educator-child bonds and reducing group sizes isn’t a luxury—it’s the mechanism.

What are the 4 foundations of how does learning happen?

The framework organizes its vision into four foundational conditions that children should experience every day. They are not a checklist; they are a set of goals that guide program decisions.

Belonging

Belonging refers to a sense of connectedness to others and the world. The Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) writes that it values “each child’s unique spirit, individuality, and presence.” When children feel they belong, they feel safe enough to take intellectual risks.

Well-being

Well-being includes physical and mental health, self-regulation, and a positive sense of self. According to the Muskoka Family Focus (community resource hub), the framework ties well-being to self-care and emotional resilience. A child who can regulate their emotions can engage more fully in learning.

Engagement

Engagement is about deep involvement in activities—what researchers call “flow.” The Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) links it to “active, creative, meaningful exploration, play, and inquiry.” When children are truly engaged, they persist, problem-solve, and learn at a deeper level.

Expression

Expression involves communication in multiple forms: bodies, words, materials, and symbols. The framework, cited in a Strive professional resource (early years training organization), states that children are capable communicators who express themselves in their first language and through other modes. Expression is not just talking; it’s drawing, building, moving, and pretending.

The pattern: the four foundations are interconnected—you can’t have engagement without belonging, and expression feeds well-being. They work as a system.

What research says about learning?

Ontario’s pedagogy doesn’t emerge from thin air. It draws on decades of developmental research, particularly from the University of London and the The Hanen Centre (THRC).

University of London research insights

The framework itself synthesizes findings from the University of London’s longitudinal studies on early childhood, which show that relationship-rich environments predict better cognitive and social outcomes. The Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) cites research indicating that children’s learning is “strengthened when educators engage in sustained, shared thinking with them.”

THRC findings on early development

The THRC (early childhood research organization) emphasizes that foundations for learning—like attention, memory, and self-regulation—are built in the first five years. Their Birth–2 School Toolkit aligns with Ontario’s framework, reinforcing that play and interaction are the engines of cognitive growth.

What this means: the research consensus is that learning is not a passive absorption of facts but an active, socially mediated process. Ontario’s framework operationalizes this consensus into daily practice.

What are the 5 stages of learning?

While How Does Learning Happen? focuses on early childhood, the broader question of how humans learn can be understood through the five stages of skill acquisition. These stages describe the journey from novice to expert.

Unconscious incompetence

At this stage, the learner doesn’t know what they don’t know. A toddler grabbing a crayon has no concept of “drawing poorly”—they simply act.

Conscious incompetence

The learner realizes there is a gap. A preschooler sees that their stick figure doesn’t look like their friend’s and becomes aware of the mismatch.

Conscious competence

With practice, the learner can perform the skill but needs concentration. A child learning to write their name can do it if they focus.

Unconscious competence

The skill becomes automatic. Tying shoes, once a struggle, now happens without thought.

Reflective competence

The learner can not only perform but also reflect on and teach the skill. Ontario’s framework encourages educators to promote this reflective capacity in children through documentation and dialogue. The YouTube training module (professional learning resource) explains that educators use pedagogical documentation to make learning visible.

The catch: Ontario’s four foundations are not synonymous with these stages. The foundations create the conditions for moving through the stages, but the framework deliberately avoids stage-based milestones—it’s about process, not pace.

How do I know if I’m actually learning?

For educators and parents wondering whether children are truly learning, the framework offers indicators—not tests.

Self-assessment strategies

According to the Child Care Providers Resource Network (early childhood support organization), the four foundations inform goals that are meant to “guide daily practice, not measure children’s development.” Educators look for signs of belonging, engagement, and expression as evidence of learning.

Practical checks for understanding

Research from the Ontario Ministry of Education (provincial early years authority) suggests that when children can explain what they’re doing to a peer or an adult, they have consolidated understanding. The ability to teach another is a reliable signal of genuine learning.

Cognitive load and retention indicators

Active recall and spaced repetition are robust strategies for retention—but Ontario’s framework embeds these through repeated, varied experiences. The THRC (early childhood research organization) notes that foundational learning skills like attention and memory are strengthened when children encounter the same concepts in different play contexts.

The trade-off: relying on observable behaviours means some learning that is internal or delayed may be missed. Yet the framework argues that trusting the process—rather than testing—ultimately produces deeper, longer-lasting learning.

“Learning is not a product of teaching. Learning is a product of the activity of learners.”

Dr. Jean Clinton, McMaster University

“The foundations inform goals for children and expectations for programs. These goals are not meant to measure children’s development, but to guide daily practice.”

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years

For Ontario educators, the choice is clear: invest in relationships, observe daily practice, and trust the four foundations as the conditions that make learning inevitable—or risk turning early years into a race to benchmarks that miss the point entirely.

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